Honoring the Past, Building a Future
“My father used to say that stories are part of the most precious heritage of mankind.” Tahir Shah, In Arabian Nights: A Caravan of Moroccan Dreams The first thing you need to know about giving an oral history is that you DO NOT have to know or talk about the larger story that surrounds the … Continue reading Your Oral History Is Needed – Part 2
As part of some research I'm doing for a new novel, I am in love again! or should I say, as usual. This time it is a man named Chris Rose who once worked for the Times Picayune in New Orleans. He wrote a series of columns in 2005-06 recounting the aftermath of Katrina, and … Continue reading Who Is Elijah Gaddis? – Setting The Stage – Part 1
November 3, 2016 - 82 degrees - Sitting outside - Tylers' Pub. I don't have a problem visualizing what a space can look like if edited, even if the walls are painted in two conflicting colors and filled with over-scaled furniture. I'm lucky that way. If you are having trouble "seeing" the revitalization … Continue reading Visit The American Tobacco Campus – A Vision Of Success
“..what the next generation will value most is not what we owned, but the evidence of who we were and the tales of how we lived. In the end, it's the family stories that are worth the storage.” ― Ellen Goodman The waterlogged app on my I-phone (used on the photo above) reflects the emotional … Continue reading Rocky Mount Mill Worker Reunion – A Glorious Day
ONCE I WAS LOST BUT NOW AM FOUND Looking at the photograph above I can hear you saying, "Stepheny, you're excited about this?" I absolutely am because I believe in the "blind, but now can see" phenomenon. You have to go and see what is happening with the Mill Village and you too will be … Continue reading The Village Historic District – The Mill Houses #2
I love the Rocky Mount Mills, and the Village Historic District. We are fortunate that there is wonderful information on the subject. To capture your imagination, however, it takes more than googling the subject. Stand quietly with me on the side of the road here on Carr Street and imagine life as it once was … Continue reading The Village Historic District – The Mill Houses #1
Main Street Rocky Mount 